Maserati 4200 Cambiocorsa
Discussion
I've decided that I need a new toy. My little Hawk Stratos is a temperamental thing and I'd like something else around which I'd enjoy driving when the Strat plays up.
I've hankered after a Maserati Ghibli GT or some time. However, I've decided that I really should get something a little bit more sensible.
Hence the title of this thread. I'd much prefer the manual but it seems that the vast majority of cars advertised are of the flappy paddle variety.
Has anyone on here any experience of these cars? Maybe some hints and tips on what to look out for?
I know that 'google is my friend', but there's nothing like hands on experience as a guide.
There was a facelift for the 2005 model year, but most I've seen advertised precede that date. Were there big changes?
What should I be looking to buy?
Thanks for your help.
I've hankered after a Maserati Ghibli GT or some time. However, I've decided that I really should get something a little bit more sensible.
Hence the title of this thread. I'd much prefer the manual but it seems that the vast majority of cars advertised are of the flappy paddle variety.
Has anyone on here any experience of these cars? Maybe some hints and tips on what to look out for?
I know that 'google is my friend', but there's nothing like hands on experience as a guide.
There was a facelift for the 2005 model year, but most I've seen advertised precede that date. Were there big changes?
What should I be looking to buy?
Thanks for your help.
Take a look here and ask the same question. www.Sportsmaserati.co.uk
AndrewW-G said:
. Does that old forum still exist? www.sportsmaserati.co.uk doesn't charge a fee to it's advertisers so you can be sure to have a tottally unbiased experiance. AndrewW-G said:
. Does that old forum still exist? www.sportsmaserati.co.uk doesn't charge a fee to it's advertisers so you can be sure to have a tottally unbiased experiance. Blib said:
Peter, I notice on your homepage that you once owned a 4300 and wasn't too impressed. Do you think that I should be looking at something else?
I just had a very bad experience, I got stitched up by a once well respected independent dealer near Sevenoaks. The car (problems aside) was great, and I would certainly recomend getting one. lambo_xx said:
Blib said:
My little Hawk Stratos is a temperamental thing and I'd like something else around which I'd enjoy driving when the Strat plays up.
Just out of interest what's the Stratos like? Handling speed etc? She's beautifully light and nimble. Being designed to go around corners as fast as possible. However, she's got a short wheelbase and the engine, being mid mounted and relatively high up lends a ceetain unstability at speed. Lift off in a corner and she will swap ends in the blink of an eye and chuck you at the nearest hedge.
Keep the power on and she will handle most things.
She's a much better car than I am a driver, so, I never feel that things are getting out of hand.
Sitting in the cabin with the engine just a firewall away is a totally absorbing experience. I absolutely love driving the car. However, sometimes I'd like a little bit more comfort. Especially on longer journeys.
Hence the Maserati.
Blib said:
lambo_xx said:
Blib said:
My little Hawk Stratos is a temperamental thing and I'd like something else around which I'd enjoy driving when the Strat plays up.
Just out of interest what's the Stratos like? Handling speed etc? She's beautifully light and nimble. Being designed to go around corners as fast as possible. However, she's got a short wheelbase and the engine, being mid mounted and relatively high up lends a ceetain unstability at speed. Lift off in a corner and she will swap ends in the blink of an eye and chuck you at the nearest hedge.
Keep the power on and she will handle most things.
She's a much better car than I am a driver, so, I never feel that things are getting out of hand.
Sitting in the cabin with the engine just a firewall away is a totally absorbing experience. I absolutely love driving the car. However, sometimes I'd like a little bit more comfort. Especially on longer journeys.
Hence the Maserati.
lambo_xx said:
Blib said:
lambo_xx said:
Blib said:
My little Hawk Stratos is a temperamental thing and I'd like something else around which I'd enjoy driving when the Strat plays up.
Just out of interest what's the Stratos like? Handling speed etc? She's beautifully light and nimble. Being designed to go around corners as fast as possible. However, she's got a short wheelbase and the engine, being mid mounted and relatively high up lends a ceetain unstability at speed. Lift off in a corner and she will swap ends in the blink of an eye and chuck you at the nearest hedge.
Keep the power on and she will handle most things.
She's a much better car than I am a driver, so, I never feel that things are getting out of hand.
Sitting in the cabin with the engine just a firewall away is a totally absorbing experience. I absolutely love driving the car. However, sometimes I'd like a little bit more comfort. Especially on longer journeys.
Hence the Maserati.
I know of at least ten other cars that would have done a far better job, including my own.
The fall out in the small Strato's replica community was huge and led to resignations in the club and recriminations which almost tore it apart.
Suffice it to say, one mans' ego got the better of him.
Now, can I ask you one question in return....?
Is the car pronounced a "four thousand two hundred cambiocorsa" or "a fortytwo hundred cambiocorsa" or even "a four two cambiocorsa"? I don't want to sound more than a pillock than I already am when I call up about examples of these cars!
THanks.
Blib said:
lambo_xx said:
Blib said:
lambo_xx said:
Blib said:
My little Hawk Stratos is a temperamental thing and I'd like something else around which I'd enjoy driving when the Strat plays up.
Just out of interest what's the Stratos like? Handling speed etc? She's beautifully light and nimble. Being designed to go around corners as fast as possible. However, she's got a short wheelbase and the engine, being mid mounted and relatively high up lends a ceetain unstability at speed. Lift off in a corner and she will swap ends in the blink of an eye and chuck you at the nearest hedge.
Keep the power on and she will handle most things.
She's a much better car than I am a driver, so, I never feel that things are getting out of hand.
Sitting in the cabin with the engine just a firewall away is a totally absorbing experience. I absolutely love driving the car. However, sometimes I'd like a little bit more comfort. Especially on longer journeys.
Hence the Maserati.
I know of at least ten other cars that would have done a far better job, including my own.
The fall out in the small Strato's replica community was huge and led to resignations in the club and recriminations which almost tore it apart.
Suffice it to say, one mans' ego got the better of him.
Now, can I ask you one question in return....?
Is the car pronounced a "four thousand two hundred cambiocorsa" or "a fortytwo hundred cambiocorsa" or even "a four two cambiocorsa"? I don't want to sound more than a pillock than I already am when I call up about examples of these cars!
THanks.
I have a 4200 Cambiocorsa for much the same reasons - the tvrolet is never going to be an every-day car (even whan it's working). I wouldn't have it as an only car if track days and seriously spirited driving is on the agenda, but if you can scratch that itch with something else it's a great all round GT/commuter/tescos wagon etc.
I decided on one 'on paper' before ever driving one; the appeal was a proper 4 seater (not a 2+2 as per DB7, 911, Cerbera etc), V8, had adequate performance and looked the part - espacially the interior which is much better than most. That was actually enough to convince me, but pre-driving it I assumed it would be relatively tame, fairly lardy, and would sound like a wasp-in-a-bottle (never did like the sound of Ferraris on track days). This is all relative of course; stepping out of a typical rep-mobile it probably seems like a rocket-ship, but I've always had a fair amount of poke available under the right foot.
But I'm happy to say it's nipper than I thought it would be - not OMG-we're-all-going-to-die fast, but quick enough. Handling is not too bad (mine has SkyHook, for whatever difference that makes) in terms of ultimate grip, and best of all - in the cabin at least it sounds sufficiently throaty and growly.
So, the good stuff: fairly rapid, looks nice, great interior, genuinely seats 4, all-the-toys, sounds nice, comfortable, eats miles effortlessley - motorways or backroads, robot-manual makes for lazy driving when required, and manual setting is responsive with quick changes. And for me at least, a 'good point' is that it's not a Ferrari, or a Porsche.
No so great: precious little feedback through the steering, especially on fast sweepers. Very difficult to know what sort of grip you have left up front near the limit. I've never had a car with traction control before so don't know if it's like others, but I find it a bit intrusive - it comes in later and harder than I'd expect if you stray into the fun-zone with it engaged. I tend to turn it off when I can be bothered, but the default when turning the car on is to have it on. SatNav doesn't work off postcodes, only street addresses which is a pain, and if like mine there isn't the optional 6-disk changer in the boot, you can't play a CD and use the SatNav at the same time. You do have to drive to accomodate the robot-manual changes when in auto as in lifting off a little when you anticipate an up-shift otherwise progress is a bit jerky.
I can't comment on reliability other than to say mine has been fine so far. But there are an awful lot of electronics and electrical and hydraulic systems to go wrong...but than again maybe I'm approaching it from a TVR reliability standpoint
Would I ever take it on a track day? No.
Would I be happy to embark on a trans-European jaunt tomorrow? Certainly.
Am I tempted to come off motorways and give it beans (and manual changes) on back roads? Absolutely.
Am I happy just to let it roll in cruise control and auto down the motorway too? Yup, that as well.
Would I have another? Without a doubt.
I decided on one 'on paper' before ever driving one; the appeal was a proper 4 seater (not a 2+2 as per DB7, 911, Cerbera etc), V8, had adequate performance and looked the part - espacially the interior which is much better than most. That was actually enough to convince me, but pre-driving it I assumed it would be relatively tame, fairly lardy, and would sound like a wasp-in-a-bottle (never did like the sound of Ferraris on track days). This is all relative of course; stepping out of a typical rep-mobile it probably seems like a rocket-ship, but I've always had a fair amount of poke available under the right foot.
But I'm happy to say it's nipper than I thought it would be - not OMG-we're-all-going-to-die fast, but quick enough. Handling is not too bad (mine has SkyHook, for whatever difference that makes) in terms of ultimate grip, and best of all - in the cabin at least it sounds sufficiently throaty and growly.
So, the good stuff: fairly rapid, looks nice, great interior, genuinely seats 4, all-the-toys, sounds nice, comfortable, eats miles effortlessley - motorways or backroads, robot-manual makes for lazy driving when required, and manual setting is responsive with quick changes. And for me at least, a 'good point' is that it's not a Ferrari, or a Porsche.
No so great: precious little feedback through the steering, especially on fast sweepers. Very difficult to know what sort of grip you have left up front near the limit. I've never had a car with traction control before so don't know if it's like others, but I find it a bit intrusive - it comes in later and harder than I'd expect if you stray into the fun-zone with it engaged. I tend to turn it off when I can be bothered, but the default when turning the car on is to have it on. SatNav doesn't work off postcodes, only street addresses which is a pain, and if like mine there isn't the optional 6-disk changer in the boot, you can't play a CD and use the SatNav at the same time. You do have to drive to accomodate the robot-manual changes when in auto as in lifting off a little when you anticipate an up-shift otherwise progress is a bit jerky.
I can't comment on reliability other than to say mine has been fine so far. But there are an awful lot of electronics and electrical and hydraulic systems to go wrong...but than again maybe I'm approaching it from a TVR reliability standpoint
Would I ever take it on a track day? No.
Would I be happy to embark on a trans-European jaunt tomorrow? Certainly.
Am I tempted to come off motorways and give it beans (and manual changes) on back roads? Absolutely.
Am I happy just to let it roll in cruise control and auto down the motorway too? Yup, that as well.
Would I have another? Without a doubt.
Blib
I owned a manual 4200 for 2 years, ran it as my daily driver and enjoyed every minute of it. They are very under appreciated cars, with decent handling and ride, an interior that is only bettered the other side of a Bentley and an engine that could only be Italian. Yes a 911 would out handle it on a track and if very well driven, also on the road, but that is missing the point. A 911 is a comparatively dull choice IMHO, there are too many of them, the interiors are still rubbish and they lack the visual drama that the Maserati has. In addition, there is no reason why the 4200 should not be reliable if you buy wisely and have it properly checked out. I never had any issues with mine and although servicing can be expensive, a good independant will help keep the costs down, a major service should be somewhere in the region of £800.
Whilst it is true there are far more Cambiocorsa versions around, the manual is not a bad choice and actually has less potential problems - the F1 pump in the CC has a habit of failing which is a costly fix it it happens. Either way, whatever version you choose you will have a car that gives you great pleasure everytime you fire her up. Good luck with your search and if you need to know anything more, just let me know.
C
I owned a manual 4200 for 2 years, ran it as my daily driver and enjoyed every minute of it. They are very under appreciated cars, with decent handling and ride, an interior that is only bettered the other side of a Bentley and an engine that could only be Italian. Yes a 911 would out handle it on a track and if very well driven, also on the road, but that is missing the point. A 911 is a comparatively dull choice IMHO, there are too many of them, the interiors are still rubbish and they lack the visual drama that the Maserati has. In addition, there is no reason why the 4200 should not be reliable if you buy wisely and have it properly checked out. I never had any issues with mine and although servicing can be expensive, a good independant will help keep the costs down, a major service should be somewhere in the region of £800.
Whilst it is true there are far more Cambiocorsa versions around, the manual is not a bad choice and actually has less potential problems - the F1 pump in the CC has a habit of failing which is a costly fix it it happens. Either way, whatever version you choose you will have a car that gives you great pleasure everytime you fire her up. Good luck with your search and if you need to know anything more, just let me know.
C
Gassing Station | Supercar General | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff